WEEKEND EDITION
HEPPNER’S GREG GRANT TOBY KEITH TO HEADLINE
RECEIVES COACHING HONOR PENDLETON WHISKY FEST
SPORTS, B1
A graduate watches a slideshow of high
school memories during Weston-McEwen
High School’s graduation ceremony
Thursday, May 27, 2021, at the M-F Drive-In
Theater in Milton-Freewater.
Robert McLean/R. A. McLean Photography
REGION, A3
MAY 29-30, 2021
145th Year, No. 96
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$1.50
WINNER OF THE 2020 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
EAST OREG
UMATILLA COUNTY
County
treatment
in new
hands
Lifeways plans to
protest the county’s
decision, according
to its director
By BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Umatilla
County’s mental health services
will undergo a signifi cant change
this year as the county brings in
a new provider to handle mental
health and addiction treatment.
In an administrative meeting
on Wednesday,
May 26, Umatilla
County commis-
sioners voted in
agreement with
a unanimous
recommendation
from a fi ve-per-
son committee to
Lindsay
award a contract
to Community
Counseling Solu-
tions as its new
mental health
and addiction
services provider.
“For some-
body in crisis,
Shafer
whether they’re
struggling with mental health,
or if they’re under the infl uence
of intoxicants, or both, which is
usually the case, they’re going to
get the service they need imme-
diately,” said Umatilla County
Commissioner John Shafer, the
county’s liaison for mental health.
The committee was composed
of an educator, law enforcement
staff and county employees. They
recommended CCS, a behavioral
health provider based in Heppner
that serves Morrow, Gilliam, Grant
and Wheeler counties, over Life-
ways, an Ontario-based mental
health provider that has served the
county for 14 years and operates in
Eastern Oregon and Idaho.
“It’s an incredible opportu-
nity, to work in Umatilla County,
to work with the customers that
we will serve and the community
partners and the commissioners,”
said Kimberly Lindsay, executive
director for CCS, which employs
roughly 200 people. “But it’s not
without risk.”
See Health, Page A8
ONIAN
& HERM
ISTON
HERALD
• 1
INSIDE • CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2021
EO SPOTLIGHT
Schools contend with increase
in student COVID-19 cases
By JADE MCDOWELL AND
ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
U
MATILLA COUNTY —
As schools have returned
to in-person classes in the
spring, the Oregon Health
Authority has started to record small
outbreaks of COVID-19 among
students across Umatilla County.
According to the state’s weekly
outbreak report, schools have
reported 66 student cases in
Umatilla County since the begin-
ning of April, the fi rst full month
most county schools began off ering
in-person classes again. More than
two-thirds of those cases have origi-
nated from the Pendleton and Herm-
iston school districts.
Instead of a large outbreak,
schools are seeing smaller pock-
ets of infection at various schools.
Umatilla County Public Health
Director Joe Fiumara said the
county is tracing many of these
cases to extracurricular activities
rather than broad, in-school spread.
Still, the number of students
with confi rmed cases of COVID-
19 is continuing to grow: OHA
reported 19 new student cases this
week alone.
The state isn’t forcing schools
to close their entire building after
a confi rmed cases, but it still has an
eff ect on student education.
“If we have to quarantine people
because they haven’t either been
vaccinated or they’ve contracted
the virus, it’s probably going to
impact their learning,” said Pend-
leton School District Superinten-
dent Chris Fritsch. “I don’t see any
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
Umatilla County Public Health Department nurse Heather Griggs prepares to administer a dose of the Moder-
na COVID-19 vaccine to Armand Larive Middle School teacher Greg Hamm at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at
Hermiston High School on Jan. 29, 2021. School teachers who have been vaccinated do not have to quarantine
if a student in their classroom tests positive.
Fiumara
Fritsch
way around that and I don’t know
that, in any future guidance, I don’t
think it’s much of a stretch that we’re
going to have to exclude people that
are sick from school.”
According to OHA, Pendleton
Mooney
Sipe
has reported 21 student cases since
April, with all of its schools, except-
ing Hawthorne Alternative High
School, reporting at least one case
in May.
At other Umatilla County school
districts, superintendents are insis-
tent the cases aren’t evidence of
school spread.
State reports show a total of 21
students in the Hermiston School
District tested positive for COVID-
19, spread across six of its schools.
Superintendent Tricia Mooney said
based on the limited information the
county health department gives the
school district, it appears the virus
isn’t spreading through classrooms
once one student falls ill.
See Schools, Page A8
PHS grad plots
path to success
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — The ink hasn’t
yet dried on Johann Valera-Vega’s
diploma, but his teachers at Pend-
leton High School were confi dent
about his trajectory.
“He’s going to make it,” music
teacher Andy Cary said.
Science teacher Jess Cooper, who
had Valera-Vega in one of his physics
classes, was similarly eff usive.
“He’s going to have success wher-
ever he ends up,” he said.
The Pendleton High School senior
now is planning a move to Arizona to
pursue a career in neuroscience, but
the public education system didn’t
always have the same faith in his
ability as it does today.
Born and raised in Pendleton,
Valera-Vega attends church at Iglesia
Adventista del Séptimo Día Hispana
de Pendleton, a Spanish-language
Seventh-day Adventist church. It
CALLING IT A CAREER
See graduation photos from
Westen-McEwen and
Hawthorne high schools.
Page B2
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
was through church he became
connected with Harris Junior Acad- Graduating Pendleton High School senior Johann Valera-Vega poses for
emy, a private school also affi liated a portrait Wednesday, May 27, 2021, in the music room at the school. Val-
era-Vega plans to move to Arizona and pursue a career in neuroscience.
with the Seventh-day Adventists.
Valera-Vega was enrolled at
Harris for his elementary school ing that he deserved more advanced ing the piano, but his horizons really
years, but by the time he was ready classes.
expanded when David Payne, the late
to enter middle school, he was ready
“I just showed it in my work,” he Sunridge music teacher, convinced
for a new challenge. He transferred said.
him to take up the trumpet.
to Sunridge Middle School, where
Valera-Vega soon was moved
“I realized that was the instru-
he was forced to start at square one. out of those classes and developed ment for me,” he said. “I stuck with
Valera-Vega said Sunridge didn’t a strong academic record, an ability it.”
account for the education he received he continued to demonstrate during
He continued to play the trum-
at Harris, meaning the staff placed his high school years.
pet through high school, not just
him in remedial courses for math and
But the classroom isn’t the only performing in school but also as a
English. The placements frustrated place where he’s shown promise.
See Grad, Page A8
him, but he was undeterred in prov-
Valera-Vega said he grew up play-
NEED 30.6% MORE
UMATILLA COUNTY RESIDENTS
TO GET VACCINATED
UMATILLA COUNTY
As of
5/27/2021
When reached
65%
w w w.sahpendleton.org
34.4%
COUNTY
REOPENS!